How to Become a Jewish Scribe

A Jewish scribe (or "sofer") writes mezuzahs, scrolls of bible verse that hang on the doorposts of Jewish homes and Torah scrolls for reading in synagogues. A sofer writes marriage contracts and divorce certificates and many other important documents. Training to be a sofer is not easy and requires extraordinary patience. A Jewish scribe enjoys a spiritually rewarding career and occupies a unique position in Jewish life.

Instructions

1. Observe Jewish law. A sofer must be an observant Jew, keep Shabbat, kosher and pray every day. He must also have good character traits, especially patience.

2. Decide what kind of safrut (writing) you want to learn. Ashkenaz, Sefard, Chabad and Am Mizrachi all have different styles of writing, although the basic laws are the same. You will need to concentrate on one style before moving on to another (many scribes stick with one style.)

3. Become an apprentice. A sofer does not take a university course on how to become a Jewish scribe, but he is an apprentice to a more experienced scribe. Choose a scribe in your community whom you trust and from whom you can learn.

4. Develop your patience. The work of a Jewish scribe is detail oriented and requires a steady hand and patience. The training also requires patience, since it is quite long and arduous.

5. Learn the laws of safrut thoroughly. You will need to become well versed in hundreds of laws on how to write various documents, and you should know how to apply them constantly. Your training will require learning as well as writing.

6. Get a certificate. Once you have completed your training, you should obtain certification. Ask another scribe where you should obtain this certificate. Vaad Mismereth Stam in Israel is a good place.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not become a sofer with the motive of making a lot of money. While a Jewish scribe can make a living, it is not the kind of livelihood that will allow you to buy a fancy car or other luxuries. While a sefer Torah costs tens of thousands of dollars to write, a scribe spends the better part of a year on only one sefer Torah.

Resources

• Information about safrut.
• Writing scrolls.